Chemformation

The Newsletter of the MIT Chemistry Department

Volume 17, Number 14

Friday, July 13, 2001

Chemformation is published by the Office of the Department Chairman. Please convey items of interest (or mailing list changes) to Liz McGrath, Room T18-390, Department of Chemistry, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, 617/253-4080; 617/258-7500 (fax) or e-mail to emg@mit.edu . Back issues of Chemformation can be accessed via the Chemistry Department Website.

Visit the Chemistry Department Website at http://web.mit.edu/chemistry/www/.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

KRIS BOWRING: The Department extends a warm welcome to Kris who has joined the Department in the capacity of Administrative Assistant to Rick Danheiser. Kris is no stranger to MIT. Before taking this job, she worked as an Administrative Secretary for 5 years (1996 - 2001) in the Physics Department for several different professors. She had previously worked for the Physics Department from 1991-1993. Prior to working in MIT, she worked for 10 years as a secretary in the Earth & Planetary Sciences Department at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri (her home town). She and her husband, Sam, moved to Boston in 1991 when he took a job as Professor in Earth, Atmospheric & Planetary Sciences here at MIT. Kris is located in Room 18-284. Her telephone number is: 3-1879 and her email address: kbowring@mit.edu.

MICHAEL UKSTINS: The Department also extends a warm welcome to Mike. For those of you who just thought the Department’s former Financial Administrator simply had a makeover, you might be surprised to hear that manning the back room at Headquarters is an entirely new person, Mike Ukstins. He came to MIT entirely out of chance, spending a week at the reception desk as a temp, then filling in for the vacant financial position, and just last week accepting a permanent position as Financial Administrator with Chemistry. Originally from Maryland, Mike moved to Boston this February, although he’s not entirely new to the city. Six years ago he started graduate school at Boston College for Economics, but only stayed for one year as curiosities led him overseas to teach English, down to Washington to work in the defense industry, and finally to venture out on his own as a graphic designer.

With exception of morning sleepwalkers en route to the coffee machine, he doesn't see much human traffic. So when down in Headquarters, feel free to stop by and introduce yourself to Mike. His

FELLOWSHIP AND AWARDS OPPORTUNITIES

BECKMAN SENIOR RESEARCH FELLOWSHIPS: This program is intended to be comparable to the Harvard Junior Fellowships and Berkeley Miller Fellowships. Candidates are expected to at the same level of excellence, capable of independent work, and competitive for the post prestigious academic and other positions on completion of their fellowship. Beckman Senior Research Fellows will be selected in part on the basis of a novel and independent research proposal. The field of research is open, but should be relevant to the mission of the Beckman Institute: to invent methods, instrumentation and materials that will open new avenues for fundamental research in the chemical and biological sciences. The recipients of the next fellowships will be announced in early 2002, to being in summer or fall 2002. Applications must be received not later than September 30, 2001. Further details can be obtained at http://www.its.caltech.edu/~bi/fellows.

DCIF:

The DCIF's Bruker EMX 300 electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectrometer now has a high sensitivity X-band cavity. This cavity gives a much higher signal-to-noise ratio, and thus reduces scan times and increases the range of samples that can be examined. EPR training can be obtained by contacting Mark Wall at mcwall@mit.edu.

CHEMISTRY DEPARTMENT BARBEQUE:

On behalf of the Chemistry Graduate Student Committee and their cosponsors, the GSC and WIC, you are cordially invited to an afternoon of fun at the Chemistry Department Barbeque on Friday, July 20 from 5 - 7 pm in the East Campus Courtyard (near the volleyball courts). There will be hamburgers, hot dogs, veggie burgers, soda, and ice cream provided!

VACANCIES ON THE CHEMICAL HYGIENE/SAFETY COMMITTEE:

Graduate Students interested in joining the Chemistry Department Chemical Hygiene and Safety Committee are invited to submit their names to Kris Bowring, e-mail: kbowring@mit.edu. Members of the Committee participate in inspections of department laboratories (approximately one inspection per month) and attend meetings (ca. 2 per year) to discuss and formulate Chemistry Department safety policy. No prior experience in safety-related matters is necessary.

As a result of the recent EPA/MIT "Consent Decree", major changes will be instituted at MIT over the next year with regard to how safety training is conducted, who does inspections and formulates rules, how we order chemicals, etc. Grad student input is urgently needed as our department committee responds to proposed changes.

Faculty Positions

Applications for most faculty positions should consist of a curriculum vitae, outline of research interests, and three letters of recommendation to be sent directly to the specific university or college. You will find more detailed information regarding these and other positions in a binder located at departmental headquarters.

The University of Texas Medical Branch, Department of Human Biological Chemistry & Genetics: seeks candidates for a newly endowed Robert A. Welch Chair in Chemistry. The primary appointment is with the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology. More information on file in Chemistry Headquarters.

University of Florida: seeks candidates for a tenure track position in the Department of Chemistry at the Assistant level in the Department of Pharmacology and University of Florida Shands Cancer Center. More information on file in Chemistry Headquarters.

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School: has an opening for a Professor or Associate Professor to serve as a visionary leader to found a new Program in Chemical Biology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. More information on this position is on file in Chemistry Headquarters.

OTHER JOB LISTINGS

Snyder & Company, LLC, Old Avon Village, Avon, CT. (JamesSnyder@compuserve.com): the Executive Search and Management Consulting Department of Snyder & Co, LLC is conducting a search for a position in the capacity of Quality Control Director for one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies based in New Jersey. Ph.D. is required. More details on file in the Chemistry Department.

Dyax Corp, One Kendall Sq., Cambridge: (lmorganelli@dyax.com) has a job opening which would primarily involve the following tasks:

Support HTS sequencing group (primary job function)

Prepare PCR and dye terminator sequencing protocols

May support other fxns in lab such as elisas, colony picking, etc.

Run robotic decks which support sequencing protocols

More information about this position may be obtained from Chemistry Headquarters.

Wichita State University: The Chemistry Department seeks an instrumentation manager with an emphasis in high field NMR spectroscopy. The main responsibilities include operating maintaining state-of-the-art Varian 300 and 400 MHz "Super Con" NMR instruments consisting of 5-mm switchable and broadband probes, and SUN workstations. Qualification: MS Chemistry degree with NMR experience required; a Ph.D. in chemistry preferred. More information is available on file in Chemistry Headquarters.

Abbott Bioresearch Center, Inc. Worcester, MA: has openings for a Senior Scientist — Biochemistry and/or Protein Crystallography (Position Code: Biochem 02) and a Research Associate — Biochemistry (Position Code: Biochem 03). More information on both of these positions is on file in Chemistry Headquarters.

The Institute for Diabetes Discovery, Inc., Branford, CT has several research positions available. More information is available on file in Chemistry Headquarters.

Prime Organics, Inc. Lowell, MA. (http://primeorg.com) has an opening for B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. level chemists, full time or part time/summer positions. E-mail your resume to info@primeorg.com. Prime Organics provides custom synthesis, contract R&D and manufacturing.

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